Homecoming

by Ellie Dean

  Seeing the younger ones clamber aboard the bus, he had a sharp memory of his own boys at that age, and thanked God they’d never had to experience the same terrifying war that these youngsters had gone through.

  The bus trundled off and Jim returned the children’s waves until they were taken out of sight. Then he fetched the car he’d been allotted and headed for Elsa’s bungalow.

  Sybil was waiting impatiently for him, dressed in a pale cream silk suit, high-heeled shoes and fancy hat. Her make-up was immaculate, her hair dressed in a neat pleat at the back of her head, but the worry and stress of these last few days were evident in the fine lines around her eyes and mouth. ‘I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,’ she said.

  ‘I promised I would,’ he replied, smiling down at the tiny Malay woman at her side. She certainly looked worlds better than she had when he’d first seen her outside Raffles, having been banned entry. ‘Delighted to meet you again,’ he said, not sure what to call her. ‘Are you coming with us?’

  ‘Well, of course she is,’ said Sybil impatiently. ‘Amah has looked after my girls almost from the moment they were born.’ She closed the front door, steadied the elderly woman down the shallow steps and headed for the car. ‘Amah will sit in the back,’ she said, climbing into the front.

  Jim raised an eyebrow but the Malay woman seemed unfazed as he held the door open for her to climb in. Making sure her beautiful sari hadn’t been caught in the door, he slammed it shut and then climbed in behind the steering wheel.

  As he drove away from the bungalow and headed for Singapore Harbour, he remembered the last time he’d seen Jane and Sarah. It was while he was home on leave before he’d been posted to India. However, he’d been so preoccupied with Peggy, baby Daisy, and the others who’d come from Somerset on a short visit, that he’d barely taken notice of anyone else.

  He dragged his thoughts back to the present. ‘I expect you’re excited to be seeing them after so long,’ he said to Sybil.

  ‘Four years is a long time to be so far apart,’ she replied. ‘We’ve had very different wars, of course, and I expect we’ve all changed. But they’re still my daughters, and that bond can never be broken.’

  ‘You must be missing your little boy,’ he murmured as they approached the harbour.

  ‘Yes, I am. But this is no place for him, and he’s perfectly safe with his grandparents. Perhaps if Jock and Philip come through I’ll telegraph my parents and ask them to bring him over. He’ll need to get to know his father and sisters.’

  Without replying, Jim drove through the entrance gate and headed for the flying-boat docking station. He parked the car and went round to help the women out. ‘We’re still a little early,’ he said. ‘I’ll just go and check with the harbour master that they’re on time.’

  Sybil eyed the huge harbour with interest. There were numerous ships at anchor waiting for permission to dock, and the navy was clearly still out in force, guarding the island. ‘It’s all very different to the last time we were here, isn’t it, Amah?’

  The tiny woman nodded. ‘I will always remember you being carried onto that ship with James in your arms, and the enemy planes coming in with their guns spitting death.’ She shivered despite the warmth of the evening and pulled her shawl more closely over her shoulders. ‘I was so afraid for you, and for the sahib.’

  ‘I always wondered why you didn’t wait with him instead of disappearing into the crowd like that,’ said Sybil.

  ‘He had important things to do,’ she said. ‘I would have been a burden.’

  Sybil’s reply was halted by Jim’s return. ‘It’s on schedule to arrive in ten minutes. Would you prefer to sit in the car to wait?’

  Sybil shook her head. ‘I want to be right here where they can see me as they disembark. But perhaps it would be best if Amah sat down. She’s not as strong as she once was.’

  ‘I will stay with Mem ,’ she said to Jim’s questioning glance.

  Jim stood there, not sure of what to say to either woman. He was intrigued by the little Malay woman and the relationship between her and Sybil, and wondered if Amah actually had a proper name. He couldn’t imagine being called by his job description all his life.

  ‘There it is,’ said Sybil some minutes later, excitedly pointing to the twin lights rapidly approaching the water, and then taking Amah’s hand. ‘Oh my goodness, I can hardly believe they’re really here,’ she breathed.

  The large seaplane came in low over the water, making for the path set out with floating buoys that would keep them a safe distance from the rest of the shipping. The roar of the engines was loud and made further conversation impossible, and they all watched as the floats glided onto the water, sending up a fountain of spray on either side.

  Jim was reminded of the Sutherland seaplanes that had delivered men, medical equipment, stores and machinery to remote rivers and waterways throughout Burma. The pilots had shown great bravery in landing in a war zone. Many of them hadn’t made it, and he wondered fleetingly if this pilot had seen action.

  The seaplane cruised to the dock and as the engines died, the propellers slowed to a stop, and the pilot climbed out with his navigator to shake the hands of his passengers who were now emerging down the steps and onto the quay.

  ‘Sarah! Jane!’ called Sybil, breaking into an awkward run along the pier towards them, her high heels in danger of sinking into the cracks between the planks.

  ‘Mother!’ the girls shrieked back in unison before scrambling out of the orderly line and running towards her. They crushed her to them, kissing her cheeks, knocking her hat askew and all of them talking at once in their excitement.

  ‘It’s so wonderful to see you again,’ said Sarah. ‘Did you bring James?’

  ‘You haven’t changed a bit, Mummy,’ breathed Jane. ‘You’re still as gorgeous as ever. Have you any news of Pops or Philip? Where are you staying? And have you bumped into Jim Reilly yet?’

  Sybil laughed, straightened her hat and then cupped her precious girls’ faces in her hands. ‘I’ve left James in Australia with Granny and Grandpa. There’s no news of your father, or of Philip, and yes, I’ve met Jim. But I have a wonderful surprise for you both. Look who’s here.’ She stepped back and gently drew Amah forward.

  Both girls gasped, clearly shocked by her appearance despite the new clothes.

  Jane was the first to break the silence. ‘Oh, Amah,’ she said with tears in her eyes as she carefully embraced her. ‘I’m so glad you’re all right.’

  ‘So am I,’ said Sarah, hugging her in turn. ‘We were so grateful to you for risking your life to send Mother the note about Pops and Philip. There really aren’t words enough to express how much that meant to us.’

  ‘To see you both looking so well is all the thanks I need,’ said Amah, taking their hands to kiss them. ‘My goodness, you are grown into fine young women – and is that an engagement ring on your finger, Jane?’

  ‘Indeed it is,’ she replied, ignoring her mother’s sharp gaze. ‘Jeremy asked me to marry him just before we left England. But I’ll tell you all about him later.’

  She looked away from Amah and grinned at Jim who was standing awkwardly a few feet away. ‘Hello, Jim. My word, we’re all a long way from Cliffehaven, aren’t we?’

  He took off his peaked uniform cap, stuffed it under his arm and shook her hand, not really knowing how to greet this self-composed young woman who bore little resemblance to the Jane he remembered.

  ‘We certainly are,’ he replied. ‘How is the old place? Still standing?’

  ‘It’s a bit battered, but your Peggy has lots of plans to make it look better for when you get back,’ she said, digging into her bag. ‘I’ve got a stack of letters for you.’

  She handed them over and then turned to Sybil who was looking most put out. ‘There’s a few for you too, Mother. Jeremy thought it was only right to ask you formally for my hand, and the others are from Peggy and Cordelia.’

  ‘Who is this Jeremy? You’ve said
very little about him in your letters.’

  ‘We’ll talk about everything once we’ve done the customs check and collected our luggage,’ said Sarah, giving Jim a grin. ‘Good to see you, Jim. The army and the climate have clearly suited you. Peggy will positively faint when she sees you looking so handsome in that uniform.’

  Jim actually blushed beneath his tan and was thankful that the girls didn’t notice as they hurried off towards the customs shed. He glanced at Amah and saw she was trembling, either from her emotions or because she’d been standing without support for too long.

  ‘I’ll take Amah back to the car and bring it closer to load up the bags,’ he murmured.

  Sybil was still fidgeting by the customs house as he drew the car up outside. ‘Who is this Jeremy person?’ she demanded the moment he’d alighted. ‘Jane’s been very secretive about him, and I’m not at all sure I approve of her getting engaged without her father’s permission.’

  ‘I’ve never met him,’ Jim stuttered, rather reeling from her attack. ‘But Peggy wrote that he’s a very pleasant young man with exciting prospects in Washington.’

  Sybil eyed him askance. ‘Washington? As in America?’

  ‘I believe so.’

  Sybil’s eyes narrowed. ‘He’s not an American, is he? Jane hasn’t had her head turned by some Yank on the make?’

  ‘I seem to remember that his mother is French and his father is English,’ said Jim, somewhat rattled by her continual questions.

  ‘Well, it’s simply not good enough,’ snapped Sybil. ‘Jane’s too young and can’t possibly know her mind well enough to be getting engaged.’

  Jim didn’t like her tone and decided to defend Jane. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, Mrs Fuller, but wasn’t Sarah engaged to Philip at the same age?’

  ‘That was different,’ she replied waspishly. ‘Sarah’s sensible. She knows the seriousness of getting engaged – and she had our approval.’

  Jim had no answer to this and was relieved to see the girls coming out of the customs shed with a porter carrying their cases. He hurried away to stow the cases in the boot of the car and tip the porter.

  ‘I get the feeling Mother doesn’t approve of my engagement,’ muttered Jane, lingering at his side.

  ‘You could have your work cut out to convince her otherwise,’ murmured Jim, slamming the boot shut. ‘Give her time, Jane. She’ll come round, I’m sure.’

  Sarah and Jane climbed into the back of the car on either side of Amah and held her hands during the journey back to the bungalow.

  ‘Oh, my goodness,’ said Sarah as he parked at the kerb. ‘It’s the Bristows’ bungalow.’

  ‘Elsa has very kindly let us move in with her until we know for certain what has happened to Jock and Philip,’ said Sybil stiffly. ‘Reggie died in Changi prison, but she’s stayed on here to work for RAPWI.’ She climbed out of the car and, without waiting for the others, marched up the path and went in through the front door.

  ‘She’s definitely on the warpath,’ said Sarah on a sigh, helping Amah out of the car. ‘So much for our homecoming.’

  ‘Mem has many fears and worries,’ said Amah. ‘This is not a good place for her and the waiting is long to hear anything of the sahibs .’

  ‘I’m sure it’s all very worrying,’ said Jane. ‘But that’s no excuse for being so sharp about my engagement.’

  Amah reached up and lightly touched Jane’s face with her fingers. ‘There has been great trouble for all of us, and perhaps it is better if you let Mem speak what is in her heart. You do not have to agree, but it would be better to keep your thoughts inside.’

  ‘Oh, Amah, I have missed you so,’ breathed Jane, giving her a gentle hug. ‘I will try, I promise. But I have to stand up to her. I’m not a child any more.’

  ‘And I too have missed you both. Now come. I have made special dinner to welcome you back to Singapore.’

  Jim left them to it and drove to his billet, rather wishing he could be a fly on the wall during the conversation Sybil would no doubt have with her younger daughter. He smiled wryly as he parked the car outside the Palm Hotel. Jane had matured and come a long way since she’d arrived at Beach View, and he had the feeling that Sybil would not find it quite so easy to get her own way with her now.

  20

  The first night had proved a difficult one for Jane, but with Sarah’s help, she’d managed to hold her tongue long enough for her mother to run out of steam, and they’d all sat down with Elsa to enjoy Amah’s delicious and very hot curry.

  Over the following week, Sybil appeared to have been mollified by what Peggy had written about Jeremy, and actually approved of his formal letter asking her for her daughter’s hand, and yet it was clear that she thought Jane was far too young to be tying herself down.

  Jane decided the only way to convince her mother that she was no longer a child to be mollycoddled was to take charge of the chaotic filing system in Elsa Bristow’s office and bring some order to it. Three weeks later, she’d organised shelves to be built from floor to ceiling on three sides, and these were now stacked with box files, each with neatly printed labels, and placed in numerical order.

  Having completed that task, Jane had then turned her attention to the bewildering and often misleading data coming in from the search teams in the jungle. She began to plot maps using the information Jim had gleaned from his interviews with the returning prisoners, and the local knowledge of the natives who’d fled Burma and Thailand.

  It was work she loved, and it had proved extremely useful to those searching for the thousands of hidden camps throughout Asia, and as September faded into October, even Sybil had to admit that her daughter was far more skilled and intelligent than she’d ever given her credit for. Elsa, too, had revised her opinion and often turned to her for advice on a particularly knotty problem, marvelling at the girl’s ability to see things differently.

  Sarah had become restless as the weeks rolled on with still no news of her father and Philip, and having seen the desperate need for help at the hospital, she’d eventually gone to the office and offered her secretarial services. She’d been snapped up immediately, and soon found herself wading through acres of paperwork that had been ignored for weeks due to the influx of so many patients.

  Sybil, left alone in the bungalow with only Amah for company, felt more useless than ever, so Sarah encouraged her to go with her to the nearby convent where the nuns were looking after the orphaned native children. She’d been reluctant at first, for she’d never had much to do with nuns, wasn’t a Catholic and doubted she’d have anything to offer. Yet, upon meeting the Reverend Mother and seeing the wonderful work the nuns were doing, she realised she had something to give to those little ones who needed love and care. It wasn’t long before she became a valued and much-loved figure at the convent, and she happily spent her days there, coming home at night, tired but at last fulfilled.

  Amah quietly kept her thoughts to herself as she watched these changes and saw how work was taking their minds off the terrible worries for their sahibs. She knew she didn’t have long to be with them, but to serve, to watch them grow spiritually stronger in the good works they were doing was enough. Her babies had grown and were beautiful young women with long lives ahead of them which she prayed would be happy – although she’d sensed that Sarah was hiding a terrible sorrow behind her smiles, and that worried her deeply.

  As for Sybil, her transformation had been wonderful to see. Gone was the restlessness and the need to be entertained and amused, for she’d found a huge well of compassion, and a tireless energy to bring solace to those little children – which, in turn, brought her closer to her daughters.

  Amah smiled to herself as she prepared the evening meal. Whatever the outcome of the search for the sahibs, Mem and her girls would always have each other, for the ties that bound them were strengthening by the day.

  Jim had risen early that late October morning to the raucous sound of Jumbo’s snoring. His head felt as if it had been o
ccupied by an entire band of drummers, and the shaft of glaring sun coming in through a gap in the bamboo blinds made him wince. He swallowed a couple of aspirin and then staggered out to the bathroom on the landing, hoping a cold shower might improve things.

  Returning to the room some time later, he glanced at the sleeping Jumbo enviously, wishing it was his day off too and he could return to bed. The party last night had been riotous to say the least, for Myfanwy had accepted Jumbo’s proposal, and the main bar at Raffles had been taken over by the celebrations which had lasted into the early hours.

  Jim had danced with Sarah, Jane and Sybil as well as every one of the nurses; sung out of key to the old favourites someone was bashing out on a piano, and suspected he’d probably blotted his reputation with Elsa after pulling her onto the dance floor and then giving her a hearty kiss.

  He groaned at the memory and began to dress. He had a long day ahead of him and wasn’t looking forward to it, for the heat was already rising, and he had to face Elsa and Jane this morning. He could only hope that Sybil hadn’t taken it into her head to call in at the office on her way to the convent, for she too had witnessed his behaviour the previous night and he could well imagine what she must be thinking of him.

  Combing his hair, he pulled on his peaked cap and picked up the briefcase he’d taken to carrying everywhere. He smiled wryly at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror, wondering what Peggy would think of this very different Jim.

  The traffic was the usual nightmare of blaring horns and jams as cars, trucks, donkeys, wagons and rickshaws tried to dodge pedestrians and lines of chained Japanese prisoners. The trials had begun and the first executions would take place the following week, but in the meantime they’d been put to work mending the roads and sewers, and making much-needed repairs to important buildings like the hospital.